The New South Wales town of Bingara, on the Gwydir River, lies in the Murchison County region of New England, some 450 kilometres north of the state capital Sydney, and about 140 kilometres north of Tamworth. The town is famous for being one of the limited number of places in the country where diamonds have been found. The town was rich in minerals, developing rapidly once gold was discovered in 1852 in what was then known as Bingera, followed immediately by further surges in the population on discovery of copper and diamonds. The town has its own successful racecourse, serving a population of just over 1000 inhabitants, racing on the last Saturday in January, the highlight of the card being the Bingara Cup over 1300 metres. The earliest mention of racing in the town was in 1890 when a Municipal Council meeting on 29th March 1890 discussed the trusteeship of a large recreation ground in the town. The Council acknowledged that the trustees had cleared a major portion of the ground and paddocks and had built a small grandstand for use by a Race Club, but the Council went on to decline a request for a 10 acre site to be developed as a racecourse unless the council received a 90 acre site nearby. Within a month the inaugural meeting of the Bingara Jockey Club was held on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th April 1890, with results from the meeting shown below.

Wednesday 16th April 1890
Opening Handicap:- Mystery owned by Mr J McDonald
Maiden Plate:- Poor Dick owned by Mr F Macfarlane
Hack Selling Race:- Cover owned by Mr H R Munro
Publican’s Purse:- Capricornus owned by Mr F Macfarlane
Flying Handicap:- Bunda owned by Mr J Barrett
Thursday 17th April 1891
Prince of Wales Stakes:- Tar Boy owned by Mr T Howe
Ladies Mile:- Victor owned by Mr S Knight
Consolation Stakes:- Telephone owned by Mr E Murphy
Forced Handicap:- Helen Nichol owned by Mr W Ward
Bingara Jockey Club Handicap
1. Capricornus owned by Mr F Macfarlane
2. Necklace owned by Mr A Jones
3. The Spear owned by Mr C Miller
10 ran

Within a year the Bingara Amateur races were held on Thursday 25th August 1891 when the principal race was the Hewlett Gift Handicap over 1 ¼ miles:-
Hewlett Gift Handicap (£20) over 1 ¼ miles
1. Hiedleburg owned by Mr Munro
2. Clove owned by Mr Booth
3. Auburn owned by Mr Borthwick
10 ran
After racing had ended supper and the prize giving was held at Mr Sinden’s Gwydir Hotel, while later in the evening a Ball was held in Mr Bridge’s Criterium Skating Academy in aid of next years’ race fund.

Towards the end of the century there were regular Pony Races held on Easter Day from 1895 to 1899. In the early years of the 20th century meetings started to resemble those on offer today. A two day meeting was staged on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th January 1905 when the Stewards were Messrs A W H Bull, A S McColl, A G Mack and F Mack. They oversaw a programme which featured the Bingara Town Plate, the Stewards Purse and the Gwydir Handicap.
Wednesday 18th January 1905
Bingara Town Plate over 1 mile
1. Well Willie owned by Mr H R Munro
2. Matrimony owned by Mr E Jurd
3. Gun Metal owned by Mr W Bowd
6 ran
Bingara Stewards Purse over 7 furlongs
1. Gun Metal owned by Mr W Bowd
2. Havelock owned by Mr E Well
3. Jack owned by Mr C Smattel
3 ran
Thursday 19th January 1905
Gwydir Handicap over 6 furlongs
1. Ding owned by Mr C Smettal
2. Bertana owned by Mr McGee
3. Czarina owned by Mr C White
6 ran

Recent Bingara Cup Winners
2009 The Bingara Cup ($3,500) over 1300 metres was won by Glenbarra Boy (11/10 fav) trained by M A Corliss and ridden by Ms L Menser, beating Art Major and Bambu 6 ran
2010 The Bingara Cup ($3,500) over 1300 metres was won by Runaway Shadow (5/2) trained by Wayne Oakenfull and ridden by D Frahm, beating Straw Vote and Mountain Brew 7 ran
2011 The Bingara Cup ($3,500) over 1300 metres was won by Silver Street (5/2) trained by Bill Farrow and ridden by Jessica Drury, beating Kid Paleface and Éclair Magique 8 ran
2012 The Bingara Cup meeting was cancelled due to excessive rain
2013 The Bingara Cup meeting was cancelled due to excessive rain
2014 The Bingara Cup ($5,180) over 1300 metres was won by Ransom Moment (3/1) trained by Graham Payne and ridden by Adam Sewell, beating Voluntary and Half Sober 8 ran
2015 The Bingara Cup ($5,180) over 1300 metres was won by Rhodonite (4/1) trained by Lea Selby and ridden by Vad Bolozhinskyi, beating Our Boy Danny and Change of Face 8 ran
2016 The Bingara Cup was abandoned
2017 The Bingara Cup ($5,260) over 1300 metres was won by Double Eagle (3/1) trained by Peter Blanch and ridden by Vad Bolozhinskyi, beating Dabamirak and Arawak 9 ran
2018 The Bingara Cup ($5,195) over 1300 metres was won by Medal Afruque (2/1 jnt fav) trained by Luke Morgan and ridden by Geoffrey Snowden, beating About Time and Victory Lass 6 ran

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses